“Trax. Would you kindly demonstrate your memory of that particular negotiation?”
When the Squalo padded forward, about fifty Latros readied their weapons, but Carcalla held up one hand to indicate it was fine. The crime boss appeared curious as Trax rummaged through the pouches of his bandolier and pulled out a crystal sphere.
The memory image which appeared above Trax’s thought globe was clearly a Squalo-eye view of the world, with me, and Cutter, and the Latros all looking especially soft and edible. I wasspeaking, though to Trax’s ear, I must have sounded a lot more high-pitched than I really was.
“How about one month if I help get back your girl, another month for the lamp, and a third if we kill Gerzog?”
Then Carcalla watched in silence as the image of Joran agreed to that, and we shook on it. When the memory winked out, Joran groaned, because he knew he’d fucked up.
“Thank you, Trax.”
“I am the best secretary ever.”
“There you have it, sir. As the notable Joran Vanderhelst himself has declared, the Squalo race produces no liars.”
The veteran gladiator gave me a look that let me know I would be on his bad side forever, but I’d won this one. “Sorry, boss. I must’ve misremembered. It’s as Carnavon says.”
Carcalla nodded slowly. “Such is the danger of delegation, but the Latrocinium keeps its promises. Continue.”
“We couldn’t recover the lamp, but the Outcasts saved Dathka’s life and ended Gerzog’s. We’re paid up for the next two months… During which we’d be overjoyed to continue with our previous deal of paying you the agreed-upon rent or providing the services of one adventuring party to you every month.”
Carcalla stared at me for a long time, weighing our value to him as treasure hunters, versus what it would be worth to slaughter us in public as an example. Then he gave me a predator’s smile. “If wizardry doesn’t work out for you, Mr. Carnavon, I’m told the Council can always use more lawyers in the Pallentine.”
I didn’t know if that was a compliment or not, so I just nodded politely.
“Very well. Your academy has bought itself a bit more time. Spend it wisely.”
Everyone on the student council breathed a sigh of relief at that, except for Trax, who was still playing with his memorysphere. Apparently, he had recorded some exciting images of fish, and watching them swim by was far more interesting to him than our negotiations.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Luckily for you, Outcasts, there’s no shortage of dangerous sites scattered across the realms I’m curious to have explored. We’ll be in touch about the details of your next expedition.”
“Wonderful.” I said that with forced enthusiasm. “I look forward to finding you some replacement treasure, even more valuable than Korthican’s lamp. Having seen the size of the chest the priests of Violence offered for one antique enchantment, I see now why some people like adventuring.”
Carcalla swirled the wine about in his glass. “You really don’t understand, do you? You think I want relics with Permanence in them for the money? I have money. It can buyalmosteverything.”
Now I was genuinely confused. “Then what do you want these relics for?”
Carcalla pointed up. “For that.”
I craned my neck back, not understanding. The only thing above us was the rotten underbelly of the Slump, slowly, inevitably crushing us. “What?”
“My kingdom is in two parts. One of which sinks a few more inches every year. Hundreds of thousands live beneath that threatening shadow, and forsaken by the law, they pay me for protection. I can hold back the monsters and chaos, but I can’t protect them from the insatiable pull of gravity. What power kept those mighty islands aloft for thousands of years? What power, once deprived, has condemned so many of the great works of this city to rot?”
My mouth fell open in surprise. “You want Permanence so you can put the Slump back where it belongs.”
“I fear lifting an entire district is beyond anyone now. Even the mighty Council couldn’t do that today, but for what they would spend to keep the Great Machine turning for a few more days, I should be able to thwart time enough to anchor the Slump in place for centuries.”
So that was what Dathka meant when she’d claimed Carcalla would use that rarest of all elements for good. “I had no idea.”
“Few do. Perhaps this knowledge will make our arrangement seem less like dangerous slavery, and more like a beneficial service. You wish to make this fallen tower your home? Then help me save it.”
I honestly didn’t know what to say to that. Carcalla was still a rotten, murdering, thieving crook, but he was at least trying to keep the poor folks he preyed upon from getting smooshed.
“I told you so,” Dathka muttered.
“Yeah, you did. Sorry I didn’t believe you.”
